Mint Taming for Mental Health - Autism, ADHD and Anxiety

In our garden, we've planted several beds that are dedicated to teaching people how gardens can be used for self care for individuals with common mental health issues. One of my favorite activities in these beds is trying to tame the mint. As someone on the autistic spectrum (with mild Aspergers) and ADHD, I find that gently pulling up the mint roots (long purple stems with little green leaves on it) and redirecting them is a satisfying and stress reducing activity.

Why do I tame mint roots? Well, mint is known for having roots that take over a bed and strangle other plants. Some gardeners suggest you only plant mint in individual containers so they don't take over everything. However, because training the mint is such an enjoyable activity for me, I'm excited that we have included mint in several parts of our garden. I enjoy checking in on the mint every week, pulling up new roots and seeing how far they've grown. One of the best parts of this activity is that the smell of the mint will remain on your fingers for the rest of the day. Since I find the scent of mint calming, I enjoy this. Others on the autistic spectrum may find the smell overwhelming and may want to wear garden gloves to avoid this.

How do you tame mint roots? I gently pull out the dark purple roots that will grow out of the mint - it is from these roots that more mint will grow after a few weeks. Then I place the root in the direction I want the mint to grow by weaving many stems together or putting dirt piles on it to hold it in place. You can see the mint roots at the top of the photo above. The tall bushy section is the spot where the mint was originally planted. As the roots get longer, it will also grow tall bits of mint too. Depending on the type and size of the mint, taming the roots may be more or less difficult. I find that working with larger varieties of mint (like spearmint) is easier than smaller mints (like some chocolate mints). Others on the autistic spectrum may enjoy smaller mints that take more concentration and focus to be more enjoyable to work with.

Other Mental Health Care Uses: In addition to being a useful gardening activity, mint is also great for teas and in meals. The smell of mint and drinking mint tea can relax individuals who have anxiety or calm the tummy of someone who is not feeling well or has a lot of stress. Since individuals living with a disability, mental health issue is a friend or partner of one typically experienced some stress or anxiety from it at some point, mint can be an important addition to any garden.